-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The generation of gays and lesbians that literally created the modern LGBT movement -- from the heroes of the 1969 Stonewall riots to their slightly younger friends -- is at , or nearing , retirement age .

That used to mean the beginning of an extremely difficult time in an LGBT person 's life . But as gay baby boomers find more acceptance in mainstream society and continue to do what they 've always done -- push to make a better world for the LGBT community -- their retirement options are slowly improving . That is , if they decide to retire at all .

`` The notion of retirement has never been a part of my vocabulary , '' said Bob Witeck , CEO and co-founder of Witeck Communications .

Nearly 61 , Witeck has put some thought into what he should do with his strategic public relations and marketing firm as he gets older . Like many friends his age who are also entrepreneurs , he plans to keep working .

`` Because I run a business , as I get older I can change the intensity of my engagement in the kinds of work I take on , '' Witeck said . `` I know I 'm lucky that way , and I 'm lucky in my personal life as well . My husband is 50 , so I have a younger man to help me if I need it , '' he said , laughing .

For decades , according to published studies and reports , many LGBT seniors entered into a kind of dangerous isolation , because the majority did not have children or spouses to help care for them . Even if they did have the benefit of a partner to help as their health declined , they faced extra burdens their straight counterparts did not have .

Without federal marriage equality , gay couples -- no matter how long they 've been together -- can not inherit each other 's Social Security benefits , even if they were legally married in the handful of states that allow it .

They can be designated as the beneficiaries of each other 's retirement savings , but must pay inheritance taxes that straight widows and widowers do not . In order to make health care decisions on behalf of an incapacitated partner , gay couples must pay additional legal fees to be granted medical power of attorney .

Historically , nothing could stop a hospital or nursing home from forbidding a gay person from visiting their partner , and openly gay people often faced discrimination from health care providers , according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force report , `` Outing Age 2010 . ''

Consequently , many LGBT seniors ended up going back into the closet as their declining health and mobility left them dependent on strangers for help , according to a study conducted by the National Senior Citizens Law Center , Lambda Legal and others . Or they were slow to ask for help -- even if they badly needed it .

`` When you put that together -- the absence of adult children and a partner to help , and add barriers to accessing services , and limit the financial means others have -- then this very thin network of support breaks at exactly the wrong time , right when there is an increasing need for services , '' said Michael Adams , executive director of the group Services & Advocacy for Gay , Lesbian , Bisexual & Transgender Elders , known as SAGE .

Read more : Growing old openly gay

Roll of the dice

Witeck said his retirement plans and those of his friends are nothing like those of their fathers ' generation .

`` My father was of the generation that thought you put in your time and then you just take off the rest , and many could afford to do it , '' Witeck said . `` He had absolutely no plans and had a generous pension . ''

His father worked on Capitol Hill for a couple of decades , Witeck said , and was able to retire at 60 . He lived another 27 years .

`` Over time he did get a little discouraged because he felt like he did n't have a purpose , but that 's what the people he knew did , '' Witeck said . `` They just abruptly stopped working . I can tell you , that wo n't be me . ''

He has , however , seen some friends whose plans to continue working have been derailed by health problems .

`` I do know , as we age , our health can fail , and I 've seen it with some friends who are n't as sharp as they once were . So I know it 's a roll of the dice on how long we can keep working , '' he said . `` Hopefully I can stay healthy and wo n't need the help . ''

But often retirement-age people do need help , and that has not always been easy for the LGBT community .

`` There is no question we are making a lot of progress in this area , and we 've absolutely been helped along by the emergence of boomers into retirement years , but by the very nature of the enormity of this work , true change will take years , '' Adams said .

His organization , SAGE , has been working to change the situation for older LGBT people since 1978 . Much has changed for the community since then , he said .

`` Especially since the Obama administration took office , '' Adams said . `` The federal approach to aging issues has improved . ''

While there still is n't federal recognition of marriage for gay couples , the federal Pension Protection Act of 2006 allowed a rollover option to nonspousal beneficiaries . That meant people could leave their pensions to anyone without a tax penalty . In the past , only married spouses were eligible for that benefit .

In 2010 , Obama issued a memorandum requiring all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds -- nearly every hospital in the United States -- to respect the right of all patients to choose who may visit them during a hospital stay , including a same-sex domestic partner . The president also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to help ensure that medical decision-making rights of LGBT patients are respected .

This year the Administration on Aging -- the federal agency responsible for funding programs that help the elderly -- finally issued guidance saying agencies and programs it funds should recognize the LGBT population among those with `` the greatest social need . '' That designation means that there should be more financial backing and programs to help elderly gay people .

The Administration on Aging spends more than $ 2.3 billion annually on nutrition and social services for the aging , according to Adams , but the LGBT community only sees $ 2 million of that .

Finally , Sen. Michael Bennet , D-Colorado , introduced the LGBT Elder Americans Act this year . If enacted , it would further boost support for the community . As it is written now , the Older Americans Act , which goes up for reauthorization every five years , does not specifically mention LGBT older adults .

Among the LGBT Elder Americans Act 's proposals is an amendment that would permanently establish the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging , which would provide training to providers of services to the elderly around the country . It would also require long-term care ombudsmen to collect data relating to discrimination against LGBT older adults .

Creating gay-friendly facilities

On the local level , however , everything may not be as rosy .

`` While the laws have become more accepting of marriage equality of the LGBT community and nondiscrimination policies in a broader sense are more inclusive , that does n't mean people who work with the elderly automatically become more accepting , '' said Laurie Young , director of aging and economic security with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force .

`` There is often high turnover in nursing home staff and a lack of professionalism , '' she said . `` Sometimes even the leadership will get it -LRB- being inclusive of LGBT people -RRB- , but it does n't get passed on to the people working with the LGBT community . ''

Several organizations , such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and SAGE , have made training the staffs of senior centers , nursing homes and assisted living facilities a priority . They want those workers to become more sensitive in their work with gay people , particularly because members of the baby boomer generation are more likely to be open about their sexuality than previous generations .

`` LGBT people want to experience the services and programs that exist for all older people , '' Adams said . `` So our work has shifted to try and bring along aging and health service organizations so they 're as accessible as possible to the LGBT community . ''

SAGE , the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and other groups also train ombudsmen to intervene if an LGBT person comes forward with a complaint . They encourage facilities to create more gay-friendly paperwork , so instead of requesting the name of a husband or wife , the forms include space for a spouse or partner .

Even changing the decorations can help . `` These changes do n't have to cost a lot , '' Young said . `` We 've talked about something as simple as having photos in the lobby of the senior center or nursing home that are more reflective of a broader population -- anything to signal that the space is more welcoming . ''

Even in the short time that SAGE has been conducting its training , it has seen a difference , Adams said .

`` In the past few years we started to notice a real change in the reception of our calls , '' he said . `` We used to reach out to these organizations and hear , ` Oh , we do n't have any gay people using our services , ' and occasionally we 'd have even hostile responses . Now our offers to help have been increasingly met with a desire on the part of these service providers to do a better job working with LGBT folks . ''

Witeck said he hopes he will never need those support services , but if he does , he 's confident his generation will continue to make them more accessible to the LGBT community .

`` We , meaning baby boomers , are such a huge and active bunch , '' Witeck said . `` I 've seen it so many times before : where we go , institutions change . I know with different generations in the past , there were serious isolation issues and institutions that refused to see us as full human beings .

`` But when I think of the arc of change for true equality for LGBT people and how much has gotten better since my generation was in high school and college , it 's way beyond what I ever imagined was possible , '' he added . `` And I imagine it will get that much better for all of us , so LGBT people wo n't have to live in fear when they do need the help . ''

How has LGBT life changed over the years ? Share your story with CNN iReport . You 're story could be featured in an upcoming CNN story .

@highlight

LGBT baby boomers changed the visibility of the gay community

@highlight

As they approach retirement , they face different obstacles than their straight counterparts

@highlight

Without marriage equality , same-sex couples may face financial hardships

@highlight

Advocates say the situation is slowly improving